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about melanie

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i love what i do!

You probably won't hear too many people say they love working with trauma, and at one point in my career, that would have been me.

But now, every day, I have the privilege of sitting with people through some of their most challenging times and witnessing their strength, resilience, and determination turn into a miracle of healing.

​It is my honor and privilege to join you on your path to healing.

in my office

I am deeply committed to helping you heal from trauma by restoring harmony and wholeness to your brains and bodies so they can thrive and live healthy and purposeful lives.

 

You will find my approach to be open, honest, straightforward, and compassionate. When you visit my office, you can expect to feel seen, heard, accepted, and treated with kindness, respect, and grace.

education & experience

Master's Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy, George Fox University, 2005.​​​

 

Licensed in Idaho, Wyoming, and Texas.​

 

Certified Brainspotting therapist and consultant.

 

​Certified Clinical Trauma Professional.​

 

Extensive training in the treatment of trauma-including Brainspotting, EMDR, Heart Math, Mindfulness and Meditation, Internal Family Systems, and more!

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my approach

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therapy that heals from the inside out

I use an advanced brain and body-based approach to help relieve the emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual pain that stems from abuse, adversity, emotional neglect, and traumatic experiences.​

 

Brainspotting is a powerful approach that targets trauma by helping process and release stored traumatic memories. This method reduces distressing symptoms and helps your brain integrate these experiences in a healthier, more adaptive way.​​

 

While traditional talk therapy can be effective for many issues, it may not always address the deep, intense feelings associated with unresolved trauma.​

 

By tapping into the brain's natural ability to heal itself, Brainspotting often delivers quicker, more focused results than traditional therapy. Importantly, it can do so without requiring you to revisit or discuss the details of your traumatic experience.​

 

This approach offers a unique and effective path to unlocking your body’s healing potential, helping you move toward lasting relief and recovery from trauma.​

 

If you're ready to find relief and regain control over your mind, body, and life, I am here to guide you every step of the way.

i want to help you live a life you love

I am deeply committed to helping my clients experience relief from the physical, emotional, and relational suffering that results from experiencing trauma.​

 

There is so much shame for survivors of trauma--they are ashamed of their body's reactions, negative beliefs that run through their heads, shame for feeling out of control, and their struggles with relationships.

 

We can move beyond coping and changing behavior and experience healing. We can heal by restoring harmony and wholeness to our brains and bodies so they can thrive and live healthy and purposeful lives.​​

 

You don’t need to THINK better, ACT better, or become a better person. You need to heal the injury in your brain and body.

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brainspotting

"Where you look affects how you feel." Brainspotting locates points in the client’s visual field that help to access unprocessed trauma in the sub-cortical part of the brain. Finding the "spot" in the brain where the trauma is held, helps the therapist locate, focus, process and release a wide range of emotionally and bodily-based symptoms associated with trauma.

Brainspotting is a brain-based, experiential approach to healing trauma. The belief is that brainspotting taps into and harnesses the body’s natural self-scanning and self-healing ability. When a Brainspot is stimulated, the deep brain reflexively signals to the therapist that the source of the problem has been found. The client and therapist then use mindful attention to create a safe space to dismantle the associated symptoms, feelings in the body, and negative beliefs often associated with the trauma; all without re-traumatizing the client by reliving the original experience.

Brainspotting can help relieve symptoms of depression, anxiety, panic, phobias, addictions as well as some medical conditions such as traumatic brain injuries, strokes, fibromyalgia, headaches, sports injuries, and preparation for and recovery from surgery.Brainspotting can also be used to find and strengthen our natural resources and resilience, and can be integrated into many other therapeutic modalities.

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